A RELUCTANT hero saved the life of a motorcyclist who lost a leg in a road accident.

Jason Barratt, 30, came to the aid of 31-year-old John Kemp, from Mancot, when he was knocked off his motorbike while returning home from work at British Aerospace in Broughton.

Jason, of Hyde Close, Whitby, said: 'I saw him lying in the road and the people standing around weren't doing anything to help.

'I pulled up and checked the area but John's leg was my main concern.

'The bone had gone through his artery and out the back, so he was bleeding an awful lot.'

Luckily, Jason had gone through a four-day first-aid training course three years ago and had a first aid kit in his car.

He was able to apply pressure to John's leg to stem the bleeding and kept him conscious by talking to him until the emergency services arrived about 10 minutes later.

John, a father-of-two, said: 'I was slipping in and out of consciousness and in immense pain.

'The emergency services had closed off the road, deciding I was a fatality.

'They thought there was no way they could get me to hospital in time to save my life.

'It takes eight minutes to get to the hospital and I wouldn't have survived the journey without first aid.' It wasn't until later that Jason realised John was a former workmate in his department at British Aerospace.

Jason said: 'I didn't notice it was John as I was concentrating on helping him.

'My training just took over and I'm not one to panic in that sort of situation.

'It wasn't easy as the experience hit me quite hard and I was shaking really badly from seeing so much blood and John in agony.

'I had to try and keep him calm and everyone else calm too.'

John was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital for treatment where they tried to save his leg, but unfortunately it had to be amputated.

He said: 'I owe Jason a lot, I would have died if he hadn't been there - I had lost so much blood.'

Jason went to visit John while he spent two-and-a-half weeks recovering and since then the pair have become good friends.

British Aerospace has recognised Jason's life-saving actions with the reward of a holiday to Amsterdam for him and his girlfriend Karen.

And he has had a collection in his department and raised about &#xA3;448 for John.

Jason said: 'I am just glad I was at the right place at the right time and got the right outcome.